Process of uniting metals.



H. GULDSCHMIDT F. LANGE.

PROGESS 0F UNITING METALS.

.APPLIOTION FILED JAN. 30, 1905.

Patented Oct. 6, `1908.

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To all whom 'if may concern:

HANS GOLDSCHMIDT'AND FELIX LANGE, 0F ESSEN-ON-THE-RUHR, GERMANY.

PROCESS OF UNITING METALS.

Be it known that we, HANS GoLDsCHMrDT, manufacturer, and FELIX LANGE, architect,

both subjects of the Kin-g of Prussia, Grer-` man Emperor,4 and residents of Essen-onthe-Rl-ihr, 1n the ,German Empire, have 1n- Vented certain new and useful Improvements in the Process of Uniting Metals, of'which the following is an exact specification.

A This invention relates particularly to the joining or welding of rails, girders, bars-and similar articles by means of su-perheated molten metall, 'by which, in the present speci- 1 outlet. through which -heated gas may :tication We mean vmetal which. is brought to a superheated molten condition as the result of .melting or reduction when within the zone of the reaction resulting from the igni-l tion of a mixture of aluminum and a compound of a metal reduc'ible by such ignition of its compound in the presence of aluminum. In welding by this alumino-thermal process it has been found in practice that the superheated molten metal' is cooled considerably when broughtinto contact with the rail or otherl article and the mold, 'owing to the coolness of such article and mold. In order to prevent this' Aand at the same time reduce-the quantity of superheated molten metal which is necessary to produce the desired result,"and in order also to make the process of joining and welding as cheap as possible, the mold spaces formed between the mold and the metallic article to which the super-.heated molten metal is to be connected should be as narrow as possible. When this is done, the exposed surfaces ofthe mold land the rail or other articleare very large as compared with the quantity of superheated molten metal to be used, and therefore it is necessary to protect the`superheated metal from the cooling action of these surfaces," or ay larger quantity of the superheated metal will be necessary to complete'the joining or welding process iiccording to our invention, the metal part to which the superheated metal is tobe joined has a mold placed 'in' juxtaposition th'erewithpreferably in such a manner as to form a continuous narrow channel .or channels, the mold preferably surrounding lall of the s'irfaces exposed tothe action of such superlieated metal. This mold is xpreferably provided withA two openings, one of which constitutes an inletand the' other an be forced for the purpose of heating the Awalls Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 30, 1905. Serial No. 243,401.

Patented oct. e, 190e.

of the mold-space and the-metal part or parts inclosed thereby. The inlet opening may be connected to the blower of a blacksmiths forge or other means for causing a current of highly heated gas to pass or be forced through the channel or' channels f heated gas is then broken and superheated` metal, preferabl soft steel produced by the alumino-thermal7 process, is run into the mold. This superlieated metal thus run into the mold serves to connect the ends of a pair of rails or to add metal to a single rail orother part in a very perfect manner and in a very cheap way, because only a small quantity of the' soft superheated steel orother superheated metal is necessary to accomplish the desired 1"esult, the cooling action of the mold and of the adjacent surface or surfaces of the metal part or parts being reduced to the minimum bysuch heatimr of the mold and metal -part or parts to a bright red heat.

We are Yawarethat in the employment of the alumino-thermal process the heating of the. metal .part or parts has heretofore been' lrunning 'of superheat'ed steel or other `metal into a heated mold which is inv juxtaposition with or :incloses the highly heated metallic surface or surfaces is very different from that which results when ordinary molten iron is run intov a heated mold in juxtaposition with `r a `heated lmetallic surface orsur-` faces; 'In' this case the only ,advantage which results is that the ,temperature of the cast `iron is not materially reduced. lVhen Aa heated mold and a heated :metallic surfacef ditional advantages result in o rating upon steel rail'sor similar articles: rst, the qual- -i-tv of the-rails is not impaired, as has-been the case heretofore, and second, narrow y channels between the mold and the railsm-.iy

In the ordinary process of melting,` iron or steel die amount of metal to be melted for the i rpose, for example of surrounding:`

the ends of two rails with molten cast iron, 1s of secondary importance, because in this wprocess it is not the quantity of molten iron .-process,`- this cost being, chieiiy determined which chiefly determines the cost of the n only bythe fact that it is necessary to melt cast iron in a furnace in order to carry ont `the process. 'This fact and the expense of 2Qf working determine the cost of such process,

and the quantity of cast iron used in the 2 process aiiects the cost only to a very slight rlhe conditions are quite ditferent *when such rails are, to be joined by the `alumvino-ther1nal process, for then the cost fdepends chieliy upon the quant-ity of the superheated metal which it is necessary to Zuse, andit is of the utmost importance in to be filled thereby to the minimum.

. such process to reduce the quantity of such supcrheated metal and the size of the space .Hence the mold space should be formed as narrow channels continuous with one-another, and.

-'preferably extending in one direction.

With regard to the quality of the rails after they are subjected to the present process, we have found that the heating of the mold and such rails or other parts to a red heat before the superheated molten metal is rnn into the mold prevents the blistering of y the steel, whereas', when this superheated molten steel or iron is.. run into the mold `4without any previous heating of such mold Athe steel of the rails has often suffered a great deal.`

`j It will be obvious that in the common cast' fw ing process used hitherto there is no danger of changing the quality of the steel of the raih because the temperature of the cast-iron is too low.

Having thus clearly described the principal part of our invention, it is still neces- 'y sary to describe thesecondary part thereof` the object vof which is to still further reduce theA difference in temperature between the "super-heated molten metal and the highly y heated `rail or other article to be Welded, and thus to obtain better results both with respect to'the quality of the metal at the point Aof 'Welding and also With respect to the cost lofthe joint. According to this part of our invention, not Aonly the mold and rail or j', other metal article are to be heated before 1`is runtinto `"the moldjbut the mixture of .the superheated molten steel or other metal aluminum and a metallic compound from which iron or steel is to be reduced also contains pieces of iron or steel which have been previously heated. lVhen the alumintrthermal reaction takes place and the iron or steel is reduced from the mixture the excessive temperature resultingY from the reat'etiion is reduced by the presence of these piet-es ot' iron or steel, and the rolume of the molten metal resulting` from the ignition of the mass is increased. 'lhese pieces of iron or steel may be heated in any suitable nninner, the most obvious source of heat` for such pres liminary heating being the het gases from the blaclt'smithis tire. lsnally these pieces, which are pieces of wrought-iron or steel. are heated in a shallow vessel to a bright.

heat and afterward thrown into the superheated molten metal resulting from the reaction of aluminum and ferrie oxid or similar compound. Said pieces may, however, be placed in the mixture ol. finely divided aluminum and ferrie oxid after which such mixture may be ignited. ll`here is a further ditference between the old process and the present one, to wit, that it is no longer necessary to vary the quality of the steel resulting from the alumino-thermal process by the addition, for example, of silicon and manganese, which additions have been necessary heretofore in order to obtain a good connection between the superheated metal and the rail.

Qur invention may be carried out by means of an apparatus such as that shown in the accompanyiup` drawings, in which Figure l is a transverse sectional eleva-- tion of a mold and a crueible or similar re eeptacle for the supcrheated molten metal; Fig. 2 is a similar view of a mold and a source of heated ,gas and illustrates a modilication of the invention; Fig. il is a transverse sectional elevation illustrating another modiiied type of mold; Fig. 4: is a sectional plan of the source of heated gas. the` section being taken in the line Ll-l, Fig'. Q.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

(1, represents a mold which is placed in juxtaposition with and is preferably clamped to the part or parts to be welded. llore, two rails are surrounded by a mold which is made in two parts and has passages (1 /c. :nld e2 constituting portions of the mold space. The ingate of the mold is shown at f, and is ltltl llt] a channel communicating with the channel e2. Between this ingate and the rail ay barrier, such as a', (see Fig. 2) is placed so that there is a complete separation between the mold and the'outlet therefrom when the mold is to be heated. The ingate f of the mold is such only when metal is to be run into the mold, and during the heating of the mold constitutes in' the present instance the outlet` for the heated gas, the main mold-space con mold and the rails are tobe heated, a pip'e7 such as r, leading from a -smiths forge, such as c, is connected with the opening m", that is, with the main mold-space formed by inter-posing the barrier a/ between the ingate f and the other channels` of the mold. The.V

connection between the mold and the pipe r \is preferably made air-tight, as by a ring of clay m, and afterward a current of hot gas is forced into the mold through the channel e, e', e? and f. When the rails or other parts to be joined have reached a bright red heat and the mold is of a corresponding,temperature the pipe r and the barrier a are removed and the mold assumes the forni shown me Fig. 1. Instead ofthe barrier a" a piece of sheet-iron, such as b (see Fig. 3) may be used, this being afterward melted by the super-heated slag resulting from the aluminothermal process. v

A t the same time that the mold and metal parts are heated avcrucible'should be filled with a mixture of granulated aluminum and oxid of iron. In this mixture a quantity of wrought-iron or steel (for example thirty per cent. of the weight of' such mixture)- maybe placed. It' this ironY or'steel is strongly heated before it is placed in the Crucible the quantity usedcan be still further increased." The mixture thusmade is-thenignited in the Well-known manner and a regulus of molten iron or steel sinks to the bottom of the crucible and the mass of molten slag remains in the upper part of the Crucible. The soft steel reduced by the alumino-thermal process and resulting fromrthe melting of the wrought` iron or steel by the superfluous heat of the reaction is thenv run into the ingate fof the mold to fill such mold. 'This may be .effected by pushing up an iron stopper j), which mayv spaces of the mold -are of such size that the.

rail or other metal part almost or entirely surroluuled b v the molten steel ormetal, and

such metal partl or parts will hehe-ated up.,

by the molten metal to such an extent asto forni therewith a weld or joint. lVhen two rails are placed end to end, and the molten metal is run around or between the ends thereof, a vcontinuous rail having a homogeneous weld at the point of connection results. The alumina slag which runs out of the crucible u after all the molten steel has made its exit runs over the opening o from which the barrier a has been removed, 'flows .over the top of the 'rai-l, or railsnand` covers the top of the'same so as to prevent any loss of heat..V

-When pieces of iron orsteel'heated to a redv heat are mixed with the welding comi pound a very high percent-afgeeft the vsame can Vbe used, for example, fi ty per cent. or more by weight of such eoi-nptound.v Because of this the quantity of superheated iron or steel produced by the present process is doubled, as it is Well known tha't the mixture of about fifty per cent. of. its weight to metallic iron. When highly heated wrought iron or steel is addedy to the mixture premature solidificationof the alumina slag, which results when cold pieces of metal in the same quantity are added, is prevented, and the ,whole mass of molten metal and slag in the crucible 'will remain and run -out ofthe Crucible in a molten state.

We deem it desirableo cover `the top of the metal article or rail with a shield While the hot gases are being forced through the mold-from the furnace c, in order to prev ent the hot gas from impinging directly upon the topof .the rail.

MVI t will be evident that the Welding compound or mixture and the crucible c containing the same may also be pre-heated if desired.' By doi-ng so considerable heat is saved,which is utilized later in' Welding or melting the bars or otherrparts operated upon.

One of the principal advantages which which it has. hitherto been impossible to sides or other large surfaces bars of considerable cross section or length of cross section. It was formerly impossible to produce flawless welds in `forgings or the like/when the surfaces to be joined were-of consider-- able extent, even when very large quantities of the Welding compound were used in doing so. By this method vot'-\veldi11g, in which the mold is formed with narrow channels the large surfaces of which, and orf'the rail or other part, are heated by hot gas forced through the mold, it is practicable to weld piecesl having a welding surface of lgreat lengthwithout excessive expense.

An important feature of that part of our process which relates to the addition of .pieces of Wrought-iron or steel to thevweldheated suiiiciently they'can be introduced into the welding compound in the Crucible in large pieces.` These large pieces when y'so heated will melt almost immediately, l either while the ,:ilumine-thermal reaction is taking place, or immediately after the action mal process heretofore, when cold wroughtiron or steel wasintroduced Intol the crumble finely divided state. lThis improved process tean be utilizedln various Ways, to4 remove alumina and oxid of iron. ordinarily reduces results fromthis improved process is that by its means it is possible to unite bars,

Weld, that is, to join together along their lng compound, is that when such pieces are' is complete. In practicing the alumino-thercontaining the welding compound it was necessa-ry to introduce such 1ron or steel 1n' a blemishes in forgingsVcastinf/s, etc., or to add parts to them, or to comp ete their' outlines. For example should it be desired to weldA a broken tooth onto a cog-wheel or to make any other addition of superheatcd iron or steel where no direct union of solid i metal vparts takes place, but Where such part merely strengthened by the addition of the superheated steel or metal, this process can be employed in the manner described. ln addition to thisvit will be noted that the means employed for obtaining` the desired result is very simple, there being only the work and the mold, the channels of which serve Iat first asflues for the hot gas, and are then filled up by the molten metal.

Having thus fully described the nature of `our invention, what We desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is l. The improvement in the artof uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid metal with a moldspace therebetween, then forcing a current of heated'gas through the mold space, and then running superheated molten metal into said mold-space and thereby partly fusing said solid metal, said superheated molten metal and the partly fused portion of the solid metal forming when soliditied -a uniform weld.`

2. rlhe improvement in the art of uniting solid pieces of metal, which consists in placing a 'mold in juxtaposition to adjacent portions vof said pieces of metal with a moldspace therebetween, then forcing a current of heated gas through the mold-Space, and then running` superheated moltcnl metallinto saidniold-space and thereby partly fusing` said solid pieces of metal, said superheated molten metal and the partly fused portions of the solid pieces of metal forming when soliditied a uniform weld.

L'l. 'lhc improvement in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtapositiouto solid metal with a n1oldspace therebetween, then forcing a current of heated gas through the mold-space, and then ruiming into said mold-space a mixture of 4molten metals, one of which is a superheated molten metal and therebyv partly fusing said solid metal, said super-heated molten metal and the partly fused portion of the 'solid metal forming when solidilied a uniform weld.

4. 'lhe improvement in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid metal with a moldspace therebetween, then forcing a current of heated gas through the mold-space, and then running into saidl mold-space a mixture of superheated molten metals and therebyT partly fusing said solid metal, said superheated molten vmetals and the partly fused portion of lthe solid metal forming ,when soliditied a uniform weld,

3. The improvement in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing ,in juxtaf position to solid metal a mold of such construction as to ferm therewith a mold-space having narrow channels, then foreinO a our rent ef heated gas through themolid-spaee, and then running superheated molten metal into said mold-space and thereby partly fus ing said solid metal, said su Jerheated molten metal and the partly fused portion of the solid metal forming when solidified a uniform weld.

6. The improvement. in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid metal with a moldspace therebetween, igniting a mixture of finely divided aluminum and. a reducible compound of a metal together withrelatively large heated pieces of such metal and reducing to a superheated molten state the 'metal of such compound and also such large pieces of metal, and then running the superheated molten metal in to said mold-space and. thereby partlyfusing said Solid metal, said superheated molten metal and the partly 'fused portion of the solid metal forming when soliditied a uniform weld.

7. The inlprovement in the art of uniting metals, which consistsin placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid metal with a moldspace therebetween, igniting a mixture of finely divided aluminum and a rcdueible compound of metaltogether with relatively large heated pieces of metal and reducingr to a superheated molten state the metal of such compound and also such large pieces of metal, forcing a current of heated gas through the 111old-space, and then runnin` the super-heated molten metal into sai mold-space and thereby partly fusingr said solid metal, said superheated molten metal and the partly fused portion of the solid metal forming when solidified a uniform weld.

el. The improvement in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing in juxtaposition to solid metal a mold of such construction as to form therewith a mold-space having narrow channels, igniting a mixture of tinely divided aluminum and a reducible compound of a metal together with relatively large pieces of such metal and redlicingv to a superheatcd molten state the metal of such compound and also such large pieces of metal, forcing a current of heated gas through the mold-space, and then running the super-heated molten metal into said mold space and thereby partly fusing said solid metal, said super-heated molten. metal and the partly fused portion of the solid metal 'forming when solidified a uniform weld.

9. The improvement in the art of uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid steel with a moldspace therebetween, then forcing ay current then running superheated molten steel into said mold-space and thereby partly fusing said solid steel, said superheated molten steel and the part-ly fused portion of the solid steel forming when solidified a uniform Weld.

10. The improvement in the. art of uniting metals, which consists in placing a mold in juxtaposition to solid steel with a moldspaee therebetween, then forcing` a current of heated gasthrongh the mold-space, and

thenV running into said mold-space a mixture of dierent kinds of molten Steel one of which is superheated molten steel and then running into said moldfspaee a. mixture of different kinds of superheated molten steel and thereby partly fusing said solid steel, said superheated molten steel and the partly fused portion of the solid steel forming when solidified a uniform weld.

l2. The improvement in the art oi' unit- 'ing adjoining` ends of a pair of solid metal bars or rails, which consists in 'plariug a mold in juxtaposition to the adjacent ends of Such solid bars or rails with a mold-.space therebetween, then forting' zi* current of heated gas through the mold-spare` :intl then running` superheated molten metal into said mold-space and thereby partl)v fusing;l the adjoining;l ends of said solid rails lor hars. said superheated molten metal und the partly fused portions of the rails or bars forming when solidified a uniform weld.

In witness whereof we, have hereunto set' our hands in the presence of tu'o \\'itnes -s.

HANS GOLDSCI'IMID'I. FELIX LANGE. fitnesses HLLIAM Essnxwmx, In'rnn LIEBER. 

